Yes, we’re horsepower freaks, but we also value athletic response. And the RX-8 has long been our poster car in this regard. Mazda’s unique hummer was the slowest sprinter in both of its previous track meets, yet its fancy footwork prevailed on the score cards. Nimble, however, takes you only so far, and the RX-8 enters its seventh year largely unchanged.

It’s the functional elements of that collection that add authority to the RX-8’s sports-car credentials. A little more grip, a little quicker turn-in, a little quicker recovery in transient response. On mountain roads, the RX-8 still holds its own among this more powerful pack, albeit with the driver rowing the six-speed gearbox in search of the cog that will grant maximum thrust.

Thanks to a body shell that verges on race-car rigid—remarkable, considering those rear demi-doors and the absence of B-pillars—plus the location of the engine’s compact mass (low and behind the front axle), the RX-8 has a refined level of balance and grace. The firm embrace of the Recaros and the precision of the electric power steering keep the driver aware of every nuance, creating that rare sense of man-machine partnership that’s the essence of sports-car fun.

The R3 enhancements, however, have provisos. Ride quality, already firm in other RX-8 versions, is firmer still, and there’s porpoising and expansion-joint whacking on patchy stretches of freeway. Plus, a lot of noise comes up through the suspension. Some of us like the turbinesque sounds of the rotary as it spools up and down, but the car can’t be called quiet. Another gripe: The bolstering of the Recaros is welcome on the track but becomes just short of oppressive, for some, on long freeway runs, putting relentless pressure on the hip bones.

The RX-8’s virtues are by now well known. Interior materials are top quality, the rear-hinged half-doors provide easy rear-seat access, and there’s room back there for two adults to travel in reasonable comfort. The combination of the rear door framing and the hefty C-pillars creates rear-quarter blind spots, but forward sightlines are exemplary, and there are no ergonomic mysteries.

Beyond that, the RX-8 still looks snappy with its freshened face and racy add-ons. The price, too, is attractive. But against an opponent that can match its finesse and leave it gasping for breath at the drag strip, the Mazda comes up short. The rotary engine makes the RX-8 unique, but beyond that, its benefits are difficult to perceive. It’s light on torque, short on horsepower, and thirsty when pressed (a dismal 14 mpg in this test). Mazda is reportedly working on a direct-injection rotary that will address these limitations, but that could be a couple of years away. In the meantime, this Mazda icon appears played out.